NATO’s Military-Industrial Revolution: $40B Drone Edge, Saab GlobalEye, and ATACMS Co-Production Announced at the 2026 Ankara Summit

• A fivefold increase in trained drone operators by the end of 2027 .
• Participating countries: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and others .
• The initiative builds on earlier NATO-EU work on a "drone wall" to protect European borders, announced in October 2025 .

Rutte emphasized the need for cost-effective solutions, stating, "We have to find some interception techniques which are of the same cost as the drones" .

Saab GlobalEye Selected to Replace AWACS Fleet

NATO formally announced the joint procurement of up to 10 Swedish-made Saab GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft to replace its aging fleet of Boeing E-3 Sentry (AWACS) planes . Key details:

• The decision was foreshadowed by Reuters on July 2, which reported that NATO had chosen the Swedish jet over Boeing's rival offering, the E-7 Wedgetail .
• At the summit, Rutte confirmed: "Today we are announcing the joint procurement of up to 10 Saab GlobalEye aircraft" .
• The contract was initially awarded by NATO's Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to Saab and Canada's Bombardier in April 2026, marking a historic shift away from exclusive U.S.-built surveillance platforms . Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the first aircraft could be operational by 2027 .

The selection represents a strategic blow to Boeing and a significant win for European defense industrial autonomy.

European Co-Production: ATACMS and Patriot Missiles

At the NATO Defense Industry Forum on the summit's sidelines, Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the co-production of ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) in Europe . The agreement, supported by the United States and Germany, aims to address "the immediate demand for locally produced munitions in Europe" and establish the first European center of excellence for ATACMS manufacturing, integration, and distribution .

Separately, the U.S. is in talks with Germany and other European nations about co-producing Raytheon's AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles and establishing a maintenance facility for Lockheed's PAC-3 Patriot missiles in Europe . A joint venture between RTX and MBDA is also set to open Europe's first Patriot missile manufacturing facility . These moves are driven by U.S. supply constraints—the U.S. used an estimated 50% of its PAC-3 inventory through April 2026 during its war with Iran, delaying deliveries to Europe .

Broader Defense Spending and Industrial Capacity

• Aggregate investment boost: Allies are projected to spend a combined $258 billion (€226 billion) more on defense in 2025 and 2026 than in previous years .
• 2026 equipment pledge: Allies pledged €70 billion in military equipment, assistance, and training for Ukraine for 2026, with commitments to sustain similar levels in 2027 .
• Artillery production: NATO expects to have the capacity to produce around 4 million artillery shells annually .
• New spending target: At the June 2025 Hague Summit, allies (except Spain) pledged to invest 5% of GDP annually in defense and security-related spending by 2035, up from the previous 2% target . This includes at least 3.5% of GDP on core defense requirements and up to 1.5% on areas like cyber and infrastructure .
• Europe and Canada were expected to spend over $90 billion extra in 2025 alone .

Bottom Line: From Plans to Contracts

The Ankara Summit confirmed a major pivot toward European-led procurement (GlobalEye replacing AWACS, European ATACMS co-production), a massive collective ramp-up in defense investment ($258B additional across 2025–2026), and a new strategic focus on drone and counter-drone warfare through the $40B "Drone Edge" initiative. As Rutte put it, the alliance has moved into an "implementation phase" focused on contracts and deliverables rather than "generic intentions" .